I Spit On Your Grave (2010)

A successful writer runs into trouble when four men mercilessly rape and torture her outside of her remote cabin by the lake. She barely manages to survive, but then returns for revenge against each of the men that assaulted her. I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. An infamous name in Horror. The exploitation classic returns to the small screen care of Steven Monroe's 2010 remake. Unlike the restraint that was shown in the recent retelling of THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, Monroe and his cast are unafraid to push the envelope, often making this updated version just as putrid and unbearable as before. While the cinematic style reduces the visceral appeal of the original, it makes the violent scenes of rape no less difficult to watch. The same basic story has been carried over, but here, the second act introduces a new layer of mystery and suspense. Where Meir Zarchi's film fit better with the Exploitation films of the time, the excessive gore in the 2010 release brings it much closer to the Horror genre.

Unfortunately, Monroe's version is not without its flaws. In just one of the many logical inconsistencies, his villains are sure to cover up all of the evidence of Jennifer's arrival in town -- with the exception of the clean designer clothes that they somehow left behind for her to find. In addition to plotting the methods of her revenge, Jennifer was apparently plotting a number of clever one-liners as well that are forced and out of place. Most of the acting falls back on drab Hixploitation, and though Sarah Butler comes through strongly during the rape scenes, her performance is way overblown in the end.

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is not a perfect film, but unlike so many other remakes, it remains just as edgy as its source material, and takes a chance with several noticeable changes to the plot.

Rating: 7/10.Gore: 5/10.

If you liked I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, check out:THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK, DEATH WEEKEND.

13 comments:

i peek between my fingers... i couldn't watch the remake of last house on the left, because i was flushed with the memories of the original. at some point i had to turn it off and flip channels back and forth. i imagine i will do the same here, though your reviews are always solid.jeremy

I haven't had the 'pleasure' of this film yet, but I'd be very surprised indeed if it wasn't far superior to the original. It is almost inconceivable to me that anyone remaking I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE could not improve on the original.

Admittedly, I first heard about this remake and was like "Really? Why?" But then, I thought more about it, and figured "Why the hell not?" It could use some updating and the more I hear about the 2010 version, the more it sounds like a genuine effort. Looking forward to checking this one out.

It is what it is, it's worth the rent at least, don't know if I would recommend a buy. The infamous scene is intact, but in a different incarnation that is disturbing enough in its own right. Becks, you can tell that Monroe is a fan of the original, and it is much closer to the source than LHotL.

I'll watch this out of curiosity to see how it's similar and different from the original. I still find the original to be a hard and disturbing watch. I could only imagine this update, from what I've been hearing. Thanks for the review.

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